


You Belong With Me

by JonnorZiamScilesTimKon



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Artist Zayn, First Time, Football, Friends to Lovers, Garage Band, M/M, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 04:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5275964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonnorZiamScilesTimKon/pseuds/JonnorZiamScilesTimKon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn was five when he learned that Disney princes were real.  This realization came to him on the playground in the form of one Liam Payne, defender against bullies and banisher of clowns (Zayn HATES clowns). Zayn was fourteen when he realized he wasn't a Disney Princess.  This realization came to him at his first boy/girl party in the form of Sophia Smith, fairest of them all and destroyer of hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hey Angel

**Author's Note:**

> I obviously don't own the rights to any of these people's lives or the song this story is based on. This is a fictional story. It was written with the sole intent to entertain fans and is in no way meant to harm any persons or make a profit of any kind. I hope you enjoy this story and would really appreciate any feedback. If any one would like to help me by reading drafts before they are posted to proof read, I would be eternally grateful.

      It was a typical Friday night. Zayn was barricaded in his bedroom, instead of out at a party like all of his peers, working on another piece for his senior showcase. Zayn had already gone through two sketchpads while trying to sketch something that he could be the least bit proud of. So far everything had been a bust. He still had two months before his work was going to go on display, but he had only finished two of the ten pieces he needed. He looked to the corner of his room where the now enlarged sketches laid mocking him. He kept trying to recapture the inspiration that had taken him over when he had sketched out those first two pieces. They had been his best work in years. A simplistic looking geisha girl holding a sword as she faced on an army of smudged heading down from the mountain in front of her and a ship being tossed around by the raging sea with the slightest glimpse of a tail popping out of the waves below. They were simple and gorgeous and so full of raw emotion.

    Zayn finally threw his newest sketchpad against the wall. It was useless, he was not going to get his creative juices flowing tonight. So that left him with the option of starting his bio homework or wasting time playing old video games. Zayn hopped off the bed and headed over to his desk to begin setting up his Nintendo 64 console. He hadn't played since- well he just hadn't played in quite some time. His thoughts immediately drifted to late nights of mario kart tournaments shared between two best friends, that turned into wrestling matches where arms and legs would tangle together in a way that Zayn would one day associate with something very different than what it was back then. These types of nights would always end with a Disney movie playing and Zayn falling asleep on his best friend's shoulder before the first song had even finished.

* * *

 

    Zayn had always loved Disney movies. He loved the jokes provided by animal sidekicks, the music that heightened every emotion, the princesses trying to achieve more than their circumstances allowed, but most of all, the princes who would do anything to give their princess a happily ever after. Zayn was five when he learned that Disney princes were real. It was during his first week at kindergarten. The Malik family had recently moved from England to a small town in Oklahoma for his father's job. They had moved in the middle of the school year so all of the other kids had already made new friends and Zayn was too shy to jump into games and make himself one of the group. All of the kids in his class kept asking him why he sounded so funny and why his skin was so different. So he spent every recess during his first week in the classroom drawing to avoid giving the kids another opportunity to point out how different he was. That is until one day his teacher couldn't stay in and watch him. Mrs. Moody told him that he had to go play outside today because she had to go to a meeting and wouldn't be able to stay and draw with him. Zayn huffed, grabbing his backpack and mustering as much bravery as he could find in his tiny body, and made his way out onto the playground.

    Chaos. That is the only thing that registered in Zayn's mind. Every kid from the whole school was running around the playground like wildebeest stampeding across the Serengeti. Zayn rushed around to the side of the steps that led back up to the school. This was mostly likely the only place he'd be able to spend his time without any of the other kids coming to bother him. Sadly, Zayn was wrong about it being a safe space. Not even five minutes into sitting down and pulling his crayons out from his bag, a group of kids he did not recognize had made their way over. They were obviously older and, from what Zayn could tell, not very friendly.

    "You're that weird kid from Europe, right?" said the biggest one as he towered over Zayn. The other two kids with him started snatching for Zayn's notebook and crayons.

    "Those are mine!" Zayn whined as he grabbed desperately for his things.

    "My little brother told me about you. Said all you do is sit by yourself and make stupid doodles. Well we don't want you here. This is our school. Go back to Europe!" The biggest one pushed Zayn over when he had jumped up to try to get a better reach for his only solace. The kids began laughing as silent tears started rolling down Zayn's face. He squeezed his eyes tight and curled in on himself. The laughter suddenly cut off and Zayn could here a new voice enter the area.

    "Leave him alone!" the new voice roared , "before I punch you to the moon."

    Zayn peaked open his eyes to look at his savior. The kid had sounded so tough, but he could not have been any older than Zayn and only barely taller. The three bullies were at least twice this kid's size. There was no way he stood a chance. Zayn wanted to warn the kid away and tell him to just let him suffer his fate, but before he could get any words out, the bullies threw down Zayn's stuff and trudged away. Zayn couldn't believe it. The kid had to have been a superhero or something. Zayn could not fathom how this pup of a kid who was suddenly all crinkle-eyed smiles could scare away three older kids with just a few words. After a minute, Zayn realized that he had been frozen still and the new kid had been smiling down at him since the bullies had left.

    "Thanks," Zayn squeaked which only made the kid's smile grow. The kid reached down to start picking up Zayn's broken crayons and the papers from his notebook that had been sprawled across the area.

    "It's no problem. Just doing my job. I'm a prince. I have to protect everyone in the kingdom," the kid said matter-of-factly.

    "You're not really a prince," Zayn responded, although he had his suspicions that the kid might actually be prince. He had the bravery and the smile for it.

    "Well, no," the boy said sheepishly, "But I like to pretend I am. That's what I want to do when I grow up. Save a princess and her kingdom. I'm Liam!" The boy- Liam reached out his hand to Zayn.

    Zayn eyed it cautiously before finally reaching out and shaking. "I'm Zayn."

    "That's such a good name. It sounds like a warrior's name! You look just like Aladdin. He's my favorite Disney prince. You saw that movie right? It was so good. My dad always tries to do voices like the genie, but he's never as good."

    "How'd you get those kids to leave so fast?" Zayn interrupted, "There were three of them and were way bigger than you."

    Liam reach his hand back behind his neck as his cheeks began to color. "Well, my mom is their teacher. So they know I could get them in big trouble if I told on them."

   That made a lot more sense to Zayn than three big kids being afraid of Liam who didn't look like he could harm a fly.

   "But I could kick their butts if I tried!" Liam continued with a look of determination.

   Zayn began giggling while trying to picture Liam actually beat up those ogres. "I bet you could," Zayn said after his laughter died down and Liam had handed him back his stuff.

   "You're drawings are really cool," Liam said after there had been a few moments of silence between the boys, "I really like the one of The Beast."

   Zayn blushed and tucked his stuff back into his bag. Once everything was put away, he reached in and pulled out some skittles that he had been saving and offered them out to Liam. Liam stared at the bright red package until Zayn began shaking the candy. Liam reached out his cupped hands and Zayn poured out a good heaping of the fantastically colored sweets.

    After throwing the whole handful into his mouth, Liam lifted up Zayn’s face and looked him dead in the eyes. “Big kids can be such poop heads. Just forget them.  You’re way cooler than them anyways.”

    Zayn just shook his head. “No I’m not.  They’re always gonna mess with me because I’m not like everyone else.”

    Liam frowned when Zayn said that, but quickly brightened up.  “Ariel and Mulan were different from everyone else and they totally rock. You’re just like them.  You’re way cool just like Mulan!”

   The two sat quietly after that, just sharing each other’s company until--

   "Want to come over after school today?" Liam blurted out. The outburst seemed to surprise both of the boys.

    Zayn gave him a skeptical look before asking, "You want me to come over?"

   Liam put back on his crinkle-eyed smile. "Yaaaaah. We're best friends now. That means we go to each other's houses," Liam answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then the bell rang to signal that recess had finished and it was time for the kids to head back to their rooms. Before Zayn could say anything else, Liam was already up and jogging back to his class, but not before shouting back to Zayn, "I'll see you after school. Meet me and my mom at the main office!"

    Zayn stayed put on the warm pavement when he tried to call out, "I have to ask my Ba-ba first." but Liam was already back inside the school.

   And just like that, the two boys were inseparable. It probably helped things that Zayn's family happened to have bought the house right next to Liam's. Back then Zayn didn't know what fate was, but if he had he would've bet all seven dollars and thirty-five cents that were in his piggy bank that fate was behind them being neighbors. Their friendship blossomed throughout the years and kept to pretty much the same pattern. Liam would defend Zayn from every bad guy who came his way and banish any monster in the shadows and Zayn would make sure Liam was always rewarded with skittles or some other treat his mom had made. Not that Zayn didn't contribute just as much to the team. Liam may have been the hero, but Zayn knew that the side-kick was just as important. So Zayn offered sarcastic jokes to keep Liam smiling, made sure they never got lost when exploring because Liam tended to just go and Zayn knew how to work a compass.

   Every adventure that Liam went on, he made sure Zayn was right by his side. The time Liam explored the creek behind his house to make sure there wasn't a dragon back there, Zayn had done research in the library on how to get scorch marks out of clothes because he knew Liam loved his batman shirt. When Liam snuck into the yard of the vampires who lived at the end of their block, Zayn had remembered to bring the flashlights and garlic. All in all, they were the perfect pair. Zayn always practical where Liam was valiant and daring.

   They quickly grew up and their adventures had been less about slaying evil witches and more about sneaking dirty cigarettes from Liam's sister's room. Liam was all Zayn ever needed and vice versa. Now that the boys were older, the roles had reverse slightly. It was now Zayn who was often saving Liam. When Liam had gotten sick, Zayn was right there every day to make sure Liam had enough comics to read and candy to snack on. When Liam hadn't made the football team at their middle school as a sixth grader, Zayn had stayed late every day after school to help Liam train. When no one went to Liam's twelfth birthday party at the bowling alley, Zayn had made sure Liam got most of the pizza the boys had shared and that he won every game they played even though Zayn was exceptional at bowling.

   That was at least until eighth grade when Liam had finally made the football team. It's not like Liam had ditched Zayn the first chance he got. Life just sort of happens. Zayn had gotten much more interested in real art and not just doodling Disney characters and Liam, well Liam had become cool. He was on the football team, he had grown into his lanky body, round face, and knobby nose. What hit the nail in the coffin though was Sophia Smith. Liam had asked her out at the first boy/girl party Zayn had ever been to. Apparently there was a party every time the football team won a game. Liam rushed to tell Zayn as soon as she had said yes. Zayn was overjoyed for his best friend. Anything that made Liam smile that crinkle-eyed smile that Zayn loved was something Zayn felt should be celebrated, despite the unknown feeling that bubbled in the pit of Zayn's stomach that left him a bit sick when Liam told him the news. It was the first girlfriend for either one of the boys and they both knew this was a big deal.

    Things were fine. Zayn and Liam hung out whenever Liam wasn't at practice or on a date. And Zayn kept busy with his sketches. Liam tried to set Zayn up with Sophia's friend Perrie so that they could spend more time together on double dates, but Zayn and Perrie did not connect on any level and after Zayn had accidentally spilled Coke on her during the movie, there was no way that Perrie was going to see him again. And that was that. It was not long after that there bro nights became fewer and far between, that texts just sort of stopped coming, and that the usual good night written on paper displayed through the windows facing each other's bedrooms were forgotten. It wasn't like they weren't friends anymore. They just weren't friends anymore. Liam and Zayn still shared smiles when they passed in the hall and waves of good morning when they got in their seperate cars and headed to school (Zayn would head straight there and Liam would go pick up Sophia). They were as close to friends as you could be without actually spending any genuine time together. And now it was senior year and Liam was captain of the football team and Zayn was just trying to get a decent portfolio of work together for college admissions.

* * *

 

    Zayn finished setting up his console and settled down to become a Pokemon master.  He was about half way done tearing apart the Elite Four when he noticed frantic movement across the alley in the room he used to spend night after night sending Morse code messages with flashlights to.  Liam was in the room throwing his hand up in the air and appeared to be shouting into the phone.  He barely resembled Zayn's old friend now.  He had lost the Bieber do that he used to sport for a stylish undercut, his body had filled out and was now compiled of all sorts of muscles from his near constant football training, but what was the most unlike Liam was the creased brow in anger and the tension held throughout his whole body.  He was certainly pissed at someone.  Zayn had never seen Liam truly mad unless it was because someone had called Zayn a racist name or something.  Liam was always all goofy smiles and sunshine.  This Liam looked like he hadn't smiled in ages.  

   Zayn hadn't meant to stare.  He just wasn't used to this.  Liam being home on a Friday, Liam being angry, or Liam being in nothing but sweatpants pacing in front of a window in full view of Zayn.  Liam suddenly threw the phone onto the bed clumped down with it, face tucked into his hands.  Zayn could feel his heartstrings being tugged.  Liam was always his weak spot even after they had drifted apart.  Zayn would always see Liam as a hero and heroes weren't supposed to look this-- this-- broken.  Zayn soon found his eyes caught by two deep brown ones.  Liam had caught Zayn staring into his bedroom.  Zayn started to panic until he realized that Liam's face didn't show an accusation, only defeat.  Quickly Zayn scurried off the bed and over to the sketch pad he had tossed aside earlier.  He scrawled out  **You Ok?**  and held it up to the window for Liam to read.

   The faintest of smiles crossed Liam's face before he was up and pulling out a pad of his own from his desk.  

     **Tired of Drama**.

Zayn furrowed his brow and scrunched up his mouth before scrawling a simple  **Sorry  :(**.

    Liam shrugged.  Zayn thought that was the end.  He had turned back to his game when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye again.  Liam was waving with a piece of paper in  his hand.

    **Can I come over?** Liam looked nervous.  As if he was asking for the whole world instead of just something that used to be so common place it wasn't even asked.

    Zayn didn't even know what to say.  The two of them hadn't spent any really time together in years and now Liam was sitting there asking to come over.  Zayn just weakly nodded.  Instantly Liam was up off the bed and pulling on a shirt.  He slid open his window and crawled out onto the ledge and with nimble grace climbed down the water spout and into the yard.  He was swiftly up the Trellis under Zayn's window and knocking on the pane.  Zayn slid open the glass and in one single movement Liam was standing in his room.  

    Zayn stood in front of the boy completely stoic.  He had spent month after month hoping that Liam and him would rekindle their once close bond.  Now that Liam was standing right in front of him, Zayn didn't know where to begin.  Zayn missed whatever Liam had started to say but saw him move towards the second player control for the N64.  Liam waited expectantly for Zayn to come join him on the bed and held out the first player controller for him.  Zayn forced his feet to move and came to his bed and settled down and took the offered controller from Liam.

   "It's been a few years since I played Pokemon Stadium, but I bet I can still kick your ass like in the old days," Liam challenged.  Liam's classic crinkly-eyed smile was plastered onto his face and it was just for Zayn.  He felt like he was in an episode of the twilight zone.  Liam was here in his room again, just ignoring the fact that they had ever had a falling out and was ready to just play a round of Pokemon with him.  Zayn shook the thoughts out of his head.  He couldn't let his mind get in the way of enjoying whatever weird alternate world he had stumbled into.  Zayn just gave Liam a less than convinced look in return. 

   "You've never once been able to kick my ass at Pokemon.  I think you got it confused.  I was always the video game champion. You were a noob." Zayn retorted.

   Liam gasped in mock offense, "Is that so, Malik? Well ten bucks says I can pwn you with just a zubat and some eeveelutions!"

   "You're so on!"  

    Zayn obviously one the first match, and like the man of his word that Liam is, he pulled out ten bucks from his back pocket and passed it over to Zayn.  The night continued like this for hours.  One battle led into another, which led into Mario Kart, which led to a fight over who got to be Yoshi, which led to Zayn getting to be Yoshi, which led to Zayn winning, which led to Liam wrestling Zayn off the bed and onto the floor, which led to them both laying on their backs on Zayn's floor trying to catch their breath and laughing up a storm.  It felt so normal, so natural for the two of them to just be hanging out on a Friday night.  Liam's face dropped and Zayn turned over to see his features contorted into a frown.  The boys had settled down now and were just laying there.  Right next to each other, bodies barely brushing in certain spots.  Zayn suddenly popped up and ran over to his collection of old VHSs.  Liam got up onto his elbows and stared after Zayn with a quizzical expression. Zayn flopped down onto the bed after popping in the movie and patted the bed as the opening to Mulan started on the screen.  Liam's face immediately burst into a grin and he leapt up onto the bed next to Zayn.  

    "This was always my favorite one.  Reminded me of you." Liam gave Zayn a small lopsided smile before turned to face the screen.  Liam was passed out before Mulan had even finished singing Reflection.  And by the time I'll Make a Man Out of You was playing, Liam's head had slipped down onto Zayn's shoulder.  Zayn was out before A Girl Worth Fighting For had finished.  

   Zayn woke up alone in his bed, completely tucked under the covers, with nothing but the blue light from the tv, where the movie had finished, to light up the room. He threw off the comforter and swung his legs off the side of the bed and ran a hand through his hair.  He was going crazy.  He had had the most vivid dream of his life and it was about Liam.  It wasn't even a sex dream.  He began chuckling bitterly to himself because only he could have a non sex dream about his ex-bestfriend and be so excited.  Then he noticed something odd stuck to his window.  He got up and traipsed across the room to find a little sticky note stuck to his window with  **Next time I get to be Yoshi** written neatly across it.  Zayn let his lips quirk up into a smile as he turned off his T.V. and tucked himself back into bed.

 

  

 


	2. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's in a band. Niall is too now I guess. And Zayn just wants to know how he let things get this bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep commenting and leaving kudos. I really want this story to be for the fans so let me know how ya'll are feeling and if any of your suggestions and ideas look like they could fit into the story then I'll try my best to incorporate them. I want you all to feel like a part of the story.

    "Hey, Liam, it's Zayn...again. The movie is about to start, mate. I already have your ticket and I'm waiting over by the Gauntlet Legends game. Hurry." Zayn hung up his phone and slid it into his pocket.  Liam and Zayn had made plans to see Cloverfield the weekend after his birthday ages ago.  It was just going to be the two of them for the first time in months and Zayn had been so excited that Liam had reached out and wanted to do something for Zayn's birthday that would just be for them.  Liam had called Zayn out of the blue over break and made the plans, saying that the whole day would be his treat and that 'It would be nice to just hang out with my best bud again' because he was 'so sorry that i have been so flakey lately.  Sophia has just been really upset about Danielle throwing a New Year's party when she knew Sophia was planning one and I have just been so busy training for lacrosse next semester'.  Zayn huffed and made his way over from the concession stand with his small popcorn and set up shop at his favorite arcade game.  Zayn was always the wizard and Liam was always the archer.  They had been six of the top ten high scores on the game.  Well they had been two years ago in seventh grade.

    Five dollars worth of quarters and an hour and a half later, Zayn marched into the bitter cold of the Kickingbird Cinema parking lot.  He made his way over to the bike rack, wiping tears from his cheeks that were obviously caused by the sharp wind and no other reason.  He scanned the rack over a few times before he finally noticed his broken bike lock resting on the ground next to an open spot on the rack.  Zayn coughed out a virulent laugh as he let the tears cascade down his face. He was half way home when he noticed several missed text alerts from an unknown number.  Zayn opened the first one and read:  **Where r u Im worried :/.**

   The rest Zayn noticed were an increasingly more aggravated assortment of the same basic text. Zayn struck out a **You have the wrong number. Don't text me again.** before turning off his phone and slogging through the glacial air nipping his skin all the way home.  After that Liam and Zayn didn't have any contact until freshman year had finished.  Liam was constantly surround by his lacrosse buddies and the cheerleaders and Zayn was not about to venture into that territory to try to confront Liam about how he could blow Zayn off like that.  Liam's curtains at home were never open anymore so Zayn couldn't even write out a sign to guilt Liam with.  

   After the summer, the two of them had become slightly more cordial.  Liam had waved at him on the first day of classes and even sat down next to him in their shared AP history class.  They still didn't really talk outside of the most shallow of conversations and they didn't eat lunch together or hang out outside of school.  But they acknowledged each other and that was a step.  

   Sophomore year was the year that Harry had transferred to their school.  Zayn has no idea what it was about him that attracted the little sprite of a lad to him, but Harry was on Zayn like peanut butter on jelly from that first day on.  They had nothing in common.  Harry was excitable and rash.  He was always laughing and would constantly force Zayn to be in on the joke.  He loved music more than anything in the world.  Harry played seven different instruments (something he talked about at length on a daily basis).  The two of them should not have bonded as quickly as they did, but Zayn thinks it's because Harry had a very familiar air about him.  Goofy grins and easy conversation. Talent and an almost obsessive need to better himself in the thing he loved.  Yes, Zayn fell into the easy pattern of their friendship because it was so close to what Zayn had been used to since kindergarten, even if their adventures never did leave quite the same spark as Zayn's old ones. 

   Liam had gotten real chummy with Louis Tomlinson: Captain of the debate team, sophomore class president, junior editor of the school newspaper, and most importantly, Eleanor Calder's new boyfriend.  Eleanor and Sophia were best friends and so Sophia would not allow for Louis and Liam to not become best friends.  Louis had seamlessly melded into the little clique that seemed to stalk Liam and Sophia around like they were the latest  Hollywood IT couple.  The whole thing made Zayn sick.  Not that he cared who Liam hung out with.  Zayn had Harry now and that was what mattered.  

* * *

 

    "Earth to Zayn. Come on, dude." Harry called as he waved his vast hand before Zayn's face.  Zayn blinked himself back to reality and gave Harry a sheepish look. 

    "Sorry. Guess I got sorta caught up in my thoughts. What-er were you saying?"

    "Just was asking what you thought about the name 1D," Harry questioned as he popped up off the couch and brushed his hands across the open air while saying the name.  He turned back over his shoulder to Zayn, "You know for like The D." Harry hopped back around and grabbed at his crotch.  

  Zayn rasp-berried and put a thumbs down right in Harry's face. "I can't believe you guys have your first show in two weeks and still haven't picked a name for your band."

   "Don't worry. It'll come to me," Harry emphasized the word come and made his way over to his guitar to begin tuning up.  It had become a weekly ritual for the two of them.  Laying on the ratty sofa in Harry's garage a few hours before band practice pitching stupid band names back and forth as they waited for the rest of Harry's troupe of talent-less troubadours to arrive.  Taylor and Josh were always the first to arrive.  Josh high-fiving Zayn on his way to his drum kit before slapping Harry on the ass.  Taylor never acknowledged Zayn's existence during band practice.  She was always too busy trying to catch Harry's eye as she set up her keyboard, doing way to many bend and snaps in the process of picking up the cords to plug it all in.   Danielle would arrive last like a bat out of hell.  Zayn could always hear her motorcycle from blocks over.  She would ride the bike just a little bit closer to the band set up each week just to see how far she could get before Harry stopped just frantically trying to jump in front of his speaker systems and just flat out died of fear that something might hurt his precious babies.  Zayn could not for the life of himself figure out how she removed her helmet in slow motion like she was in some burger ad pandering at desperate and sad men.  Danielle was by far Zayn's favorite member of Harry's band because she gave Harry just as much hell as Harry always gave Zayn.  Once the group was all set up, Zayn waited patiently for them to start into the same tune that all of their songs seemed to follow, but no one seemed to be in any hurry to start playing.

   Zayn shot Harry a questioning look and Harry just shrugged as if that would answer any question on Zayn's mind.  Not long after, Zayn saw a very familiar jeep pulling up into Harry's drive and watched in as two very fit lads made there way out.  Niall Horan, the kicker of their school's football team, made his way over to Harry to fist pump him before setting up the guitar that he had brought with him.  Zayn was too busy taking in the boy that was headed over to the trash couch that Zayn had been nestled up in to really notice Niall give him a hello.  Liam was standing there in front of Zayn looking more like a Disney prince than Zayn had ever seen him with the sun casting rays right behind him.

   "Seat taken?" Liam inquired.

   Zayn shook his head and scooted over from the center of the couch to give Liam enough room that there was no point of connection between their two bodies.  

   "Well now that we're all here, Let ROCK n' ROLL!" Harry wailed before Danielle hurled one of her extra picks at his head and retorted, "Shut it, Styles."

   And with that the band carried on into their usual set.  Niall seemed to fit right in which Zayn couldn't decide if it was good that Niall so easily smoothed his playing in with the band or if it was bad that Niall sounded as painful to Zayn's ear as the rest of the lot.  About four song in, Liam leaned over to say and asked, "Is rehearsal always this rough?"

  Zayn laughed and leaned back into Liam. "This is actually really good for them." 

   "Yikes. I can't believe I agreed to come to this.  Niall just looks like a lost puppy and it's so hard to say no to the little guy."

   "Yeah, I totally understand that.  At least you've only had to do this once.  Try being here every Saturday for two years." 

   "My condolences." Liam chuckled and patted Zayn on the back before turning back to the band and giving Niall and thumbs up.

    Zayn suddenly noticed how close the two had ended up scooting toward each other in order to hear.  Zayn could practically feel electricity coming off of Liam's body.  Zayn forced his head back towards the band and tried to keep from darting his eyes back to Liam's cheesy grin.  Niall kept looking up from his guitar and over to the boys on the couch looking for approval.  Zayn and Niall made eye contact and Zayn gave him a weak smile and thumbs up the way Liam had before.  This seemed to appease him as he jumped into the song with twice the enthusiasm as he had been displaying before.  

   Zayn could tell that they were getting close to finishing the set and sighed in relief as the band came to the final cords of a vulgar song involving kielbasa, but which was clearly about something much less family friendly.   

   Harry cheered once the band had finished and raved about how they had found the missing piece to their puzzle.  Liam bumped shoulders with Zayn and smiled.

    "They aren't so bad after about an hour of constant playing."

    "That's just because the human ear can only take so much before it jut gives in and dies, leaving all sound to be registered as ok." 

    Liam punched Zayn's arm playfully and smirked at him. "You're still the same smartass."

   Zayn was on the moon.  He should not have been so excited over such a simple exchange, but he couldn't help himself.  The dynamic duo hadn't spent any time talking outside of class in almost three years and here they were hanging out twice in less than twenty four hours.  Liam hopped off the couch and made his way over to Niall to high-five him.  

   "That was sweet, bro." Zayn could hear Liam praise.

    Suddenly, Zayn was being plucked up off the couch and into the long arms of mischief incarnate. "Did you hear that? We were so badass. Niall is exactly what this band needed to take it to the next level.  Zayn, seriously, I might love the kid," Harry babbled.  

   "Yeah, yeah, Hazza, you were totally ace. Now please put me down." Zayn pandered.  

   Harry dropped Zayn back onto his feet and kissed his cheek before darting back over to his band mates to go over some notes on how they could clean up the sound a bit.  Zayn doubted anything could get their sound clean, but he couldn't deny that he had a soft spot in his heart for the rag tag band.  Soon, the sun was starting to set and Taylor, Danielle, and Josh made their way out of the garage and to their respective homes.  Harry was still going over a few sections of songs with Niall that he hadn't quite gotten right and Liam and Zayn were back on the sofa discussing potential names for the group.

   "The Sugarplum Harrys"

    "Hard Stone Harry"

     "Harry Queen Creamer"

     "She's my Harry pie"

    "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Rolling Stones."

    "Harry and the Fendersons." 

    "What did you just say?" Harry barked. "That's fucking genius! Liam, you are my new hero! Already these two have done more for this band than you ever have, Zayn." 

    There was no real bite to Harry's words but that didn't stop Zayn from chunking one of the drumsticks on the shelf behind him at Harry. 

    "I have done plenty for this band. Thank you very much.  Where would you even be if it weren't for me coming around and keeping you lot on track and actually playing instead of just spending the whole time hot boxing in Josh's van?"

    "Fair point, my friend.  You are indeed the very frame that holds this band together." Harry gets out before flopping down onto Zayn's lap.  

   "Hey, Liam.  We should probably head out soon if we're going to meet Louis for dinner before Paranormal Activity," Niall interjected.

   Liam looked at his phone and made a face that Zayn didn't quite recognize when he noticed the time.  Liam sighed and slowly lifted off the couch. "I guess you're right." 

  Then he looked down at Zayn and Harry and a grin crawled across his face. "You two should come! You guys know Louis from student council so I'm sure he'd be fine with you crashing.

  Niall nodded his agreement and the two gave Harry and Zayn a hopeful look.  Harry shook his head rolled off Zayn and into the spot on the couch that Liam had vacated.

   "Sorry, guys.  I really have to catch up on my homework. Besides, Zayn hates found footage movies.  Never could get him to go see any of them with me. Could I?" Harry informed as he ruffled Zayn's hair. 

  Liam gave Zayn a quizzical look and furrowed his brow.  "I remember Zayn being all about the idea of found footage movies back in middle school." Liam responded.

   "Well people change," Zayn bit out a tad more bitter than he had intended.  This caused Liam's face to fall.  Niall and Liam began making their way back to his car.  Niall hopped right into the passenger seat, but Liam hung back for a second before turning back to the boys still in the garage.

   "Well if you guys change your mind, we're going to the 8:40 showing at Tinsletown," then he directed himself to Zayn, "You know, the theater where everyone always goes." 

   Harry looked perplexed at the sudden harshness in Liam's voice but just shrugs before responding, "Yeah, give me your number in case I need a study break. I'll make sure to rope sourpuss into coming along."

   Before Zayn knew what he was doing, he recited off, "It's 555-2727." 

   All three guys gave Zayn a shocked stare.  Zayn couldn't even figure out how he had still had that number memorized.  

  Liam opened and closed his mouth like a fish on land a few times before finally gathering his thoughts. "I haven't had that number since freshman year.  I dropped my phone while ice-skating with Sophia over winter break and so I had to get a new one."

  Then Niall called from inside the car, 'Just text me, Harry. Liam, we got to go." and with that Liam was in the driver's seat of the jeep and pulling out of Harry's driveway and onto the road. Harry pushed Zayn with his leg and jumped up and off towards the door to the house, calling back to Zayn to hurry up inside so they could get started procrastinating and then head off to the movies with at least the semblance of having been productive.  But Zayn couldn't move.  It all hit him all at once and he was having trouble grabbing hold of anything in order to make sense out of it.  Liam had gotten a new phone over winter break their first year of high school.  They had stopped being friends that January because of Liam skipping Zayn's birthday.  Zayn had been at Kickingbird CInema.  Liam had just told Harry and Zayn that everyone always goes to Tinsletown.  Zayn had deleted several texts from an unknown number that night in his frustration without really checking into them.  And then he really understood.  Zayn had texted back the number that he had no idea was Liam's that he didn't want Liam to text him again.  Zayn had gone to the wrong theater and then told Liam not to talk to him.  Zayn had blown off Liam.  It was Zayn's fault.  


End file.
